Video pattern recognition for automating emergency service incident awareness and response

• US 8,368,754 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Flores, Romelia H., Givens, Charlet N., Mathai, Shiju, Kwan, Hung T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Angela
• Application Number:
  US12/402,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

Video analysis capabilities can be integrated into an emergency response system and/or a video operations center (VOC) monitoring for emergency incidents. At least one computer program driven response action involving detecting patterns in video streams that comprise video of an incident can be performed. This response action can be directed to VOC personnel and/or to emergency response system personnel. Further, the response action can result in an automated responses to an emergency incident and/or to an alerting of humans monitoring video to focus on a particular video stream/incident. One such response action, which increases video capture activity at a geographic location of the incident, can occur responsive to a receipt of an emergency call by the emergency response system. Another response action can analyze at least one video stream of the geographic location and can automatically dispatch (in approximately real time) an emergency responder to the geographic location. Still another action can analyze the video stream of a geographic location, can determine a high likelihood of an emergency incident, and can provide an alert in a user interface of the emergency response system or a VOC. Video of the incident can also be provided in the user interface.

Claims

1. An emergency response method comprising:

integrating video analysis capabilities into at least one of an emergency response system and a video operations center (VOC) monitoring for emergency incidents; and

performing at least one computer program driven response action involving detecting patterns in video streams that comprise video of an incident, wherein the response action comprises;

analyzing at least one video stream of a geographic location and automatically dispatching an emergency responder to the geographic location based upon results of analyzing the at least one video stream, wherein the analyzing and the automatic dispatching occur in at least one of real-time and near real-time;

aggregating results of analyzing the at least one video stream of the geographic location with data input into the emergency response system based upon real-time voice communications involving emergency response system personnel;

determining a likelihood of an emergency incident based upon the aggregated results of analyzing the video stream and the data input based upon real time voice communications; and

automatically dispatching the emergency responder only when the determined likelihood of the emergency incident exceeds a previously established threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

equipping responders with at least a video capture device and a video display device that are communicatively linked to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), wherein video from said video capture device is routed to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC) where the routed video is programmatically analyzed for patterns detection purposes, and wherein video from at least one of the emergency response system and video operations center (VOC) is selectively presented upon the video display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video analysis engine is configured to recognize patterns in video streams, to compare these patterns against a data store of previously established patterns that are associated with defined incidents to determine occurrences of instances depicted in the video stream, and wherein the emergency response system is configured to dispatch emergency personnel to a site of an incident in response to an occurrence of an incident, and is configured to receive emergency calls alerting personnel of an emergency requiring a dispatch of emergency personnel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

granting control of at least one video source proximate to the geographic location to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), wherein the control permits adjustments to be remotely made to the video source, which alter a video stream acquired from the video source, said altered video stream being routed to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), whereby control comprises one of video source angle, video source focal point, video source contrast, and zoom.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically adjusting video coverage during the incident in real-time based upon results of pattern detection to ensure a maximization of video related to the incident is captured and available to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), wherein the pattern detection from the video analysis in conjunction with an ability to control video captured by remotely located video sources proximate to the geographic location ensures that important entities, which are identified based upon the video analysis, and that are involved in the incident are tracked by video routed to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC).

6. A computer program product for emergency response comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that is a physical storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, said computer usable program code being configured to be utilized by a processor, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code configured to integrate video analysis capabilities into at least one of an emergency response system and a video operations center (VOC) monitoring for emergency incidents; and

computer usable program code configured to perform at least one computer program driven response action involving detecting patterns in video streams that comprise video of an incident, wherein the response action comprises;

analyzing at least one video stream of a geographic location and automatically dispatching an emergency responder to the geographic location based upon results of analyzing the at least one video stream, wherein the analyzing and automatic dispatching occur in at least one of real-time and near real-time;

aggregating results of analyzing the at least one video stream of the geographic location with data input into the emergency response system based upon real-time voice communications involving emergency response system personnel;

determining a likelihood of an emergency incident based upon the aggregated results of analyzing the video stream and the data input based upon real time voice communications; and

automatically dispatching the emergency responder only when the determined likelihood of the emergency incident exceeds a previously established threshold.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the video analysis engine is configured to recognize patterns in video streams, to compare these patterns against a data store of previously established patterns that are associated with defined incidents to determine occurrences of instances depicted in the video stream, and wherein the emergency response system is configured to dispatch emergency personnel to a site of an incident in response to an occurrence of an incident, and is configured to receive emergency calls alerting personnel of an emergency requiring a dispatch of emergency personnel.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein responders are equipped with at least a video capture device and a video display device that are communicatively linked to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to route video from said video capture device to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC) where the routed video is programmatically analyzed for patterns detection purposes, and wherein video from at least one of the emergency response system and video operations center (VOC) is selectively presented upon the video display device.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the video analysis engine is configured to recognize patterns in video streams, to compare these patterns against a data store of previously established patterns that are associated with defined incidents to determine occurrences of instances depicted in the video stream, and wherein the emergency response system is configured to dispatch emergency personnel to a site of an incident in response to an occurrence of an incident, and is configured to receive emergency calls alerting personnel of an emergency requiring a dispatch of emergency personnel.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to grant control of at least one video source proximate to the geographic location to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), wherein the control permits adjustments to be remotely made to the video source, which alter a video stream acquired from the video source, said altered video stream being routed to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), whereby control comprises one of video source angle, video source focal point, video source contrast, and zoom.

11. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to dynamically adjust video coverage during the incident in real-time based upon results of pattern detection to ensure a maximization of video related to the incident is captured and available to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), wherein the pattern detection from the video analysis in conjunction with an ability to control video captured by remotely located video sources proximate to the geographic location ensures that important entities, which are identified based upon the video analysis, and that are involved in the incident are tracked by video routed to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC).

12. A system for emergency response comprising:

one or more one processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that is a physical storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, said computer usable program code being configured to be utilized by at least one of the one or more processors, the computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code configured to integrate video analysis capabilities into at least one of an emergency response system and a video operations center (VOC) monitoring for emergency incidents; and

computer usable program code configured to perform at least one computer program driven response action involving detecting patterns in video streams that comprise video of an incident, wherein the response action comprises;

analyzing at least one video stream of a geographic location and automatically dispatching an emergency responder to the geographic location based upon results of analyzing the at least one video stream, wherein the analyzing and automatic dispatching occur in at least one of real-time and near real-time;

aggregating results of analyzing the at least one video stream of the geographic location with data input into the emergency response system based upon real-time voice communications involving emergency response system personnel;

determining a likelihood of an emergency incident based upon the aggregated results of analyzing the video stream and the data input based upon real time voice communications; and

automatically dispatching the emergency responder only when the determined likelihood of the emergency incident exceeds a previously established threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the video analysis engine is configured to recognize patterns in video streams, to compare these patterns against a data store of previously established patterns that are associated with defined incidents to determine occurrences of instances depicted in the video stream, and wherein the emergency response system is configured to dispatch emergency personnel to a site of an incident in response to an occurrence of an incident, and is configured to receive emergency calls alerting personnel of an emergency requiring a dispatch of emergency personnel.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein responders are equipped with at least a video capture device and a video display device that are communicatively linked to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to route video from said video capture device to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC) where the routed video is programmatically analyzed for patterns detection purposes, and wherein video from at least one of the emergency response system and video operations center (VOC) is selectively presented upon the video display device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the video analysis engine is configured to recognize patterns in video streams, to compare these patterns against a data store of previously established patterns that are associated with defined incidents to determine occurrences of instances depicted in the video stream, and wherein the emergency response system is configured to dispatch emergency personnel to a site of an incident in response to an occurrence of an incident, and is configured to receive emergency calls alerting personnel of an emergency requiring a dispatch of emergency personnel.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to grant control of at least one video source proximate to the geographic location to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), wherein the control permits adjustments to be remotely made to the video source, which alter a video stream acquired from the video source, said altered video stream being routed to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), whereby control comprises one of video source angle, video source focal point, video source contrast, and zoom.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to dynamically adjust video coverage during the incident in real-time based upon results of pattern detection to ensure a maximization of video related to the incident is captured and available to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC), wherein the pattern detection from the video analysis in conjunction with an ability to control video captured by remotely located video sources proximate to the geographic location ensures that important entities, which are identified based upon the video analysis, and that are involved in the incident are tracked by video routed to at least one of the emergency response system and the video operations center (VOC).